Top tips for Paracas and trips to Islas Ballestas, Peru Welcome to my Top tips for Paracas and trips to Islas Ballestas, Peru. Getting there..... We had originally booked to travel to Paracas from Nazca with Cruz Del Sur. However, after our horrendous journey from Cuzco to Nazca, I was prepared to avoid the bus at [...]

The dreaded Cruz Del Sur experience Our journey to Nazca was turmultuous. We had decided to get a Cruz Del Sur night bus from Cusco to Naza, as there are no flights available to Nazca (or further north along the Peruvian coast) and Cruz came recommended. It is worth noting that the buses do not leave [...]

Arrival in Ollantaytambo and recommended accommodation Our first impressions of Ollaytambo were not good - we arrived late at night on the train (see my Cusco blog for information about trains) , the taxi drivers tried to overcharge us for the short transfer to our hotel (20 soles) and there appeared to be barking feral dogs [...]

Check out my video highlights of our jungle tour - including the sights of Puerto Maldonado, various species of monkey, macaws, parrots, views from a canopy tower, a trip to an ox bow lake and piranha fishing!

Booking Process When booking your trip to Machu Picchu, one of the first decisions you will make is whether to do the Inca Trail. We chose not to, as we only had 2 weeks and many places to visit on our itinerary. We decided to do the climb up Wayna Picchu (also spelt Huayna Picchu) as [...]

Top Tips for Cusco City, Peru Welcome to my Top Tips for Cusco City, Peru. How to get there Welcome to my Top Tips for Cusco City, Peru! We travelled to Cusco by plane from Puerto Maldonado airport. The check-in process at the airport was fairly smooth and the security process was hassle-free. The departure gate ended [...]

From Puerto Maldonado, we headed off into the Jungle with Rainforest Expeditions. This was the only organised tour we did during our trip to Peru and it was absolutely worth the extra money. Our first impressions were not that great, as the office was in chaos when we arrived, with people trying to establish which group [...]

Continuing our efforts to avoid having to use Cruz del Sur again (story to follow, but best not to read it while you are eating your dinner!), we paid 400 Soles for a private taxi from Paracas to Lima. The price originally quoted was $135, which about 430 soles (approx £92), based on an overly favourable [...]

We hired a private taxi from Nazca to Paracas for 300 soles (approx £65). We booked it through the hotel where we were staying, Nazca Oasis. I think the first amount mentioned was higher but like most prices in Peru, we knew there was some room for negotiation. We said we'd 'think about it and count [...]